This story is Part 4 of 海角精品黑料鈥檚 four-part series, 鈥�Fighting Fentanyl,鈥� which explores how the drug is impacting students, families and schools in the D.C. area.
Opioid overdoses among young people across the D.C. region have been declining, a step school leaders and community advocates attribute to increased messaging and the availability of naloxone.
But they鈥檙e carefully monitoring emerging trends and warning parents about other substances that could have harmful effects, even if they鈥檙e not as deadly as fentanyl.
Alcohol could spike at various points throughout the year, and then opioids or schedule I or II substances make up a smaller percentage. However, 鈥渢he most deadly of all of the drugs that kids can be getting, especially with fentanyl or Pyro or Xylazine, (are) some of the newer synthetics that we’re starting to see,鈥� according to Jennifer Evans, the district鈥檚 director of student mental health services.
As of now, Evans said those substances have been found nearby in Maryland or West Virginia, 鈥渟o it鈥檚 only a matter of time before it gets to us.鈥� Xylazine has 鈥減eaked鈥� near Philadelphia, and Evans said it鈥檚 unclear where Pyro came from, but they鈥檙e different forms of opiates that are synthetic. They don鈥檛 respond as positively to naloxone, Evans said, so it鈥檚 still effective but might require multiple doses.
Xylazine is a veterinary sedative, and 鈥淧yro鈥� is a class of synthetic opioids.
Meanwhile, in Arlington, school leaders are regularly updating educational materials to match the latest trends. Jenny Sexton, one of the school district鈥檚 substance abuse counselors, said substances such as Xylazine and Isotonitazene are human-made and used in counterfeit pills.
鈥淭his is an evolving field,鈥� Sexton said.
Michael Axler, director of intervention and prevention services for Fairfax County Public Schools, said while they鈥檙e monitoring Xylazine trends, the division isn鈥檛 noticing the same patterns it did with fentanyl.
鈥淭here are always other substances that are out there,鈥� Axler said. 鈥淲e’re not aware that there are any other substances that are being used that are having as damaging an effect as fentanyl.鈥�
In Alexandria, school officials have been sounding the alarm about the possible consequences of vape concentrates. Highly concentrated levels of THC, according to the district’s Fredy Martinez, could lead to psychotic behaviors, anxiety or panic.
Ginny Atwood, co-founder of the recovery group The Chris Atwood Foundation, said they鈥檙e hearing about young people moving away from opioids and 鈥渕ore toward cannabis and psychoactive hallucinogens and things like that, which are generally much less fatal and dangerous in that way. They have their own set of dangers and difficulties.鈥�
Sean Foster, whose son Cayden died from an overdose in 2023, said the Fairfax County detective who worked on the case has offered some insight into new trends. The focus isn鈥檛 as much on pills, Foster said, 鈥渂ut more the powder being mixed into things like cocaine and marijuana and things like that.鈥�
鈥淭he drug of choice in college right now is cocaine, and fentanyl is absolutely being laced into cocaine,鈥� Foster said.
There鈥檚 an increase in adults using cocaine and methamphetamines, according to Rebecca Sutter, a nursing professor at George Mason University, and 鈥渋t鈥檚 on my radar to monitor the age ranges and whether or not we’re going to see kind of a phase down into the younger populations,鈥� she said.
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